General Information

Learning the laws regulating the use of firearms is a must for responsible ownership. Local regulations differ and laws vary from state to state. Citizens must check with the jurisdiction where the gun is to be used.

Generally, laws require the following:

Permits to buy handguns in North Carolina must be obtained from the sheriff in the county that you reside. In Haywood County it is the Sheriff's Office. The Cost is $5.00.

Gun purchase permit applications must be completed online and will be processed on normal business days (Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM). Click the "Let's get Started" button to apply for a permit.

Gaining competency with firearms is like learning to drive a car or fly an airplane. You need expert instruction and practice. There is no shortcut. If you are not willing to invest the time and effort to become competent, then having a firearm and trying to use it can, in many instances, be more hazardous than any impending threat.

Must NOT be convicted of any felony, or similar offense in any jurisdiction or currently under indictment for any felonious offense.

Must NOT be a fugitive from justice.

Must NOT be an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana, any depressant, stimulant or narcotic drug.

Must NOT be adjudged incompetent on grounds of mental illness, nor have been committed to any mental institution.

Must NOT be convicted of a Domestic Violence Offense.

Must NOT have unresolved criminal charges pending.

Must NOT have a suspended driver's license.

Must NOT have a substantial history of convictions, arrests, or reports demonstrating a continuing pattern of criminal activity.

Must NOT be discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions.

Must NOT be an illegal alien or unlawfully residing in the United States.

Must NOT have been a citizen of the United States and renounced that citizenship.

Must NOT have an active court order of protection (50B) that alleges any domestic threat or violence.

Please note that as part of the application process, you will authorize the Haywood County Clerk of Superior Court to inform the Sheriff of Haywood County whether or not the clerks’ records contain the record of any involuntary mental commitment proceeding under Article 5 of Chapter 122C of the General Statutes in which you have been named as a respondent. The purpose of this release is to enable the Sheriff to determine your qualification and competence to purchase and handle a handgun.

The Haywood County Sheriff’s office offers this online service as a convenience to the community. In addition to the per permit fee of $5, the system will charge a per transaction fee for the convenience of applying and paying for your permits online. The convenience fee is not collected by the Sheriff. This fee is paid to the company that provides this order, payment and processing system to the public. You do have the option of applying and paying via cash in person at the Sheriff’s office. By doing so, you will not be charged the convenience fee.

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NC General Statute 14-315.1: Storage of firearms to protect minors

(a) Any person who resides in the same premises as a minor, owns or possesses a firearm, and stores or leaves the firearm (i) in a condition that the firearm can be discharged and (ii) in a manner that the person knew or should have known that an unsupervised minor would be able to gain access to the firearm, is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor if a minor gains access to the firearm without the lawful permission of the minor's parents or a person having charge of the minor and the minor:

Possesses it in violation of G.S. 14-269.2(b);

Exhibits it in a public place in a careless, angry, or threatening manner;

Causes personal injury or death with it not in self defense; or

Uses it in the commission of a crime.

(b) Nothing in this section shall prohibit a person from carrying a firearm on his or her body, or placed in such close proximity that it can be used as easily and quickly as if carried on the body.

(c) This section shall not apply if the minor obtained the firearm as a result of an unlawful entry by any person.

(d) "Minor" as used in this section means a person under 18 years of age who is not emancipated. (1993, c. 558, s. 2; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 14, s. 11.)